


Solangelo AUctober 2020

by Thwipster808



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: AUctober, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Sports, Alternate Universe - business competitors, Anxiety, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Food Trucks, Gen, Haunted Houses, Kissing, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Magic School, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Social Anxiety, Wrong number, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26831893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thwipster808/pseuds/Thwipster808
Summary: AUctober 2020 prompts from @solangeloweek on Tumblr! I skipped a few~~1. Bookstore2. Sports/Team3. Business Competitors4. Long Distance5. Murder Mystery6. Unspecified Wizarding School7. Wrong Number8. Haunted House9. Halloween (my order is all messed up)
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 22
Kudos: 94
Collections: Solangelo Auctober 2020





	1. Day 1 - Bookstore

“Oh, Neeks! Look at this! We have to stop in here.”

Will took a deep breath as he crossed the threshold into another world, one filled with endless adventure and wonder: a bookstore. It smelled of old pages and wood. Dust caught in the rays of light streaming in through the windows, making the place look like it was sprinkled in glitter.

He turned back to see his boyfriend gazing around in awe. Not that he had never been in a bookstore before, but he was still entranced every time he entered one. Which was precisely why Will thought bookstore hopping was a perfect idea for a date.

After a moment, Will reached out and took Nico’s hand, tugging him forward into the little shop. This was the third store they had wandered into over the past two hours. Will had marked out all the bookstores in town, including little libraries they might pass in the suburbs near their houses. They both loved books, but even Nico had to agree that Fall weather just made small bookstores _better_ somehow.

The boys perused the shelves, hands linked between them as they looked at opposite sides of the aisle. Every once in a while, they would pull a book off the shelf actually intending to buy it, but for the most part, they were just there for the atmosphere and quiet company. Sometimes, they would compete to see who could find the perfect book for the other person the fastest. Usually it ended with them both loving the picks and taking extra time to read the first several pages.

“Hey, Will. Check this out.” Nico handed him a decently-sized paperback book with a yellow border around the edges of the front cover. The title read, “Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes: A No-Bullshit Guide to World Mythology.” Will grinned immediately. They were both total mythology nerds, to the point where they felt like they could write their own complete Greek Mythology book. But it almost looked like someone beat them to it.

“This looks hilarious, I need it.” It was only his second book today, so he counted that as a win.

“Obviously.” Nico reached over and plucked the book out of the blonde’s hands. “I’ll buy it for you.”

Will couldn’t help but grin. “Aww, Neeks! You’re so sweet.”

Nico gave him a small smile in return. He turned to purchase the book at the front of the store, then hesitated a moment. Suddenly, he spun back towards Will and leaned up to peck him on the lips. It was so quick that Will didn’t even have time to react before it was over. He blinked at his boyfriend, who was now shyly tucking a lock of hair behind his ear with a pink blush spreading across his cheeks.

“I’m having a really good time, with you.” It was so quiet that Will nearly missed it. The genuine admission, once it registered in Will’s brain, had him matching Nico’s blush with a bright smile slowly spreading across his face.

He reached out and squeezed Nico’s hand. “Me too.”


	2. Day 4 - Sport/Team

“Nice shot, di Angelo!”

Nico nodded at his teammate as he ran back down the court, sweat dripping down his back beneath his jersey. They were up five points with thirty seconds left in the third quarter. The game was too close for comfort, so Nico probably looked angry (he was just _focused_ , but he was told he was pretty scary looking at times like this). His teammates usually tried to joke around with him to get him to smile during games, but no one did more than yell encouragements, so they were probably as focused as he was at the moment.

Nico turned around to face their opponents. Blonde number 10 was bringing down the ball, glancing around at his teammates before focusing his attention on Nico. Then, the guy _smirked_. Directly at Nico. Like he was happy the ace shooter of the opposing team was guarding him.

_Freaking Solace_ , Nico thought as his eyes narrowed into a glare, which seemed to make the other boy smile more. Yes, Nico knew who he was. His defense was that you should always know the enemy. His teammates, however, loved pointing out that Nico always called all other players by their number or some physical description, but Will Solace was the only one he knew by name.

_“They’re our top rival in the district, so sue me if I pay more attention to them_ ,” _he said._

_“Don’t worry, di Angelo. I think he pays_ extra special _attention to you too,” Leo laughed._

He tried not to think about his teammates words as Will got right up in his face. It was almost offensive how close he got, like Nico couldn’t swipe the ball right out of his hands.

(He didn’t want to admit that he probably couldn’t because, as point guard, Will was a _really_ good ball handler.)

“Don’t be so tense, di Angelo. I won’t hurt you,” Will taunted as he dribbled the ball back and forth between his hands.

Nico rolled his eyes, which was almost risky considering he could lose sight of the ball if he wasn’t careful. But he knew Will would wait for his reply before starting a play. He didn’t know when they became rivals on a personal level, but Nico wasn’t really complaining. It always made their games a little more exciting.

“I wouldn’t brag, Solace. You’re still losing at the moment.” Nico lowered his stance, prepared for the fancy ball handling he knew Will was capable of.

Like lightning, Will crossed over between his legs, shifting his weight to the left before cutting back right. Nico was ready, though, his feet poised to move and shift to mirror his opponent. He effectively cut off Will’s attempt to drive toward the basket, forcing him to step back and reassess.

Soon enough, he passed off to his teammate and cut toward the basket, Nico following closely and blocking off any potential passing routes. Will circled out to the left wing, Nico keeping his hands out, but his eyes now trained on the ball as it moved around the court.

“Nice try, Goldilocks.” Nico didn’t usually start the banter, but sometimes he just felt too smug to keep it in.

Will huffed indignantly beside him. “Get off your high horse, Doom-and-Gloom. It wasn’t that impressive.”

They continued moving around the court until one of Will’s teammates got a shot in. Now Nico’s team had a three-point lead, and the third quarter was almost up. Nico ran down the court for a long pass, aiming to pop off a three pointer before time ran out. The ball was inbounded to Percy, who turned and lobbed it straight towards Nico. Nico snatched it out of the air once it was close enough and spun around to see that Will was already waiting for him. Even so, he sprinted a few steps toward the three-point line and pulled up for a shot.

Nico was fast, but Will was tall. Will closed out just as the ball left Nico’s fingers. However, just _barely_ , he saw that Will’s outstretched fingers grazed the bottom of the ball. The ball soared through the air as the buzzer went off, everyone in the gym holding their breath as they watched.

_Donk!_

The ball hit the edge of the rim hard, bouncing off and into the backboard. It nearly fell in, rolling around the rim for half a second before falling sideways to the ground.

The collective disappointment was audible, even with the cheers of Will’s team. When Will whipped around to aim his shit-eating grin at Nico, the dark-haired boy was already scowling at him.

Nico flipped him off before Will could get a word in, but that just caused him to laugh brightly in the face of Nico’s dark cloud of anger. He was ready to storm off toward his team when Will quickly grabbed his wrist.

“Hey, Neeks,” he started.

“Don’t call me that,” Nico grumbled.

Will continued like he hadn’t spoken. “Loser of the game buys the other dinner.”

Completely caught off guard, Nico only blinked in response. As the words processed, he felt heat rise in his cheeks. He yanked his hand away and shook his head so that his hair obscured part of his face. He scoffed, trying to get back on track. “You better ready your wallet then, pretty boy.”

Nico barely caught sight of the other boy beaming before he hurried back to the bench. He really hoped he could blame his red face on physical exertion in the game, but knowing his team, they’d never let this go.

Still, Nico could put up with it. But he sure as heck wasn’t going to be paying for dinner tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for rivals-to-lovers, I know that's not their dynamic exactly but I'm making it their dynamic lol also I actively play basketball if you can't tell, so I really enjoyed writing this!


	3. Day 5 - Business Competitors

_Tssss!_

Ah, the sweet sound of meat hitting the frying pan would always and forever be beautiful to Will. It was lunchtime, so he didn’t have the time to stop and enjoy a moment with his creation. The lunch rush would never give him that luxury, but it was fine. It just meant he was successfully doing his job.

Will was the proud owner of _Solace_ , his very own food truck, serving up Texas comfort foods to the weary New Yorker. Yes, it was his last name, and it sounded a bit conceited, but it was too perfect for him to pass up. He loved cooking and could always rely on his favorite recipes from home to cheer him up. His friends had casually suggested him owning a restaurant, which he immediately dismissed as too much work, but then he landed upon the idea of a food truck and took off from there. They all thought Texas home cooking was unique enough to be a cool, new thing in New York City, but not so niche that he would only have a few customers.

And they were all right, because _Solace_ always had a steady stream of customers who were hungry for quick and hearty Texas foods. A lot of them were from Texas, and they adamantly expressed how authentic Will’s cooking was and how it made them both less and more homesick at the same time. Other customers just really loved his food, many trying it for the first time, which always made Will happy. He felt lucky to be able to share his home and childhood with others. It wasn’t easy running a food truck, but he ended up employing several of his friends and they all had a blast growing his business.

Recently, he had seen people with small trays of pasta in their hands as they walked past his truck. He didn’t want to say he was losing customers, but he did feel like there were a few less people coming than normal. On his post-lunch rush break, he took a stroll around the little plaza area he was by and came across a new truck.

Will did his level best not to get overly competitive with other food vendors. He made an effort to try food from all the trucks and be friendly with everyone. Most people responded in kind, caring more about the food than the money. He hoped this new guy was the same as he examined the truck from afar.

The truck seemed to specialize in Italian food. “Authentic Italian Cuisine” was plastered all over the front and back, but most places in New York City boasted about being the best and most authentic, so it didn’t necessarily mean much. A small awning stuck out over the service window area, bold letters spelling out the truck name: ANGELO DE ITALIA. Anyone could figure out the translation, _Angel of Italy_ , so Will was still unsure of the authenticity of this place’s food.

_Pretty elegant name for a food truck, though_ , Will thought to himself. Food trucks were for quick and tasty foods. Maybe it was just Will, but he always thought of Italian food as something you find in fancy restaurants, not out on the street. However, there was a sizable line for the new vendor, so the food had to be at least decent.

Will decided he would come back towards the end of the day and check out who was behind the _Angel of Italy_.

\--

By late afternoon, the sky was slightly overcast, and less people were out on the street. Will decided it was a good time to stop by the Italian food truck before he went home for the day.

As he made his way over, he was glad to see there were only a few people in line. He queued up and glanced over the menu. It was a pretty large menu for a food truck, and all of the food items had the proper Italian name next to it. The dishes looked amazing in pictures, but Will was still doubtful about reproducing that in seven minutes or so.

“Next!” Will turned to see a hand wave him over to the window. He stepped up and felt his heart skip a beat at the man gazing down at him. He was handsome, to say the least. His dark brown, near black hair framed his face nicely, contrasting with his olive-toned skin and the sprinkling of freckles across his cheeks. He wore an apron and leaned heavily on the counter in front of him, probably tired from a whole day of constant serving. But his eyes were bright, the kind of bright Will recognized in himself when he was really pleased with his cooking.

That really told Will all he needed to know.

“Hi there!” Will greeted cheerily, glancing behind him to ensure he wasn’t holding up any customers. “My name’s Will. I own that food truck over there,” he pointed towards _Solace_ , in all its golden glory.

“Oh, cool!” A head of curly brown hair and a wide smile popped out of the window next to the first guy. “Dude, I love your country-fried steak! I have no idea how you put them out so quickly.”

Will laughed. “Nice to meet a fan! Trust me, it took a lot of messing around to figure out the best method.” He gestured to their menu. “I’m sure you guys had to do the same? I don’t know a lot about Italian cooking, but I feel like those items usually take some time as well.”

“Oh, they do,” the second guy rolled his eyes as he jabbed a thumb over to the first man. “I tried to tell Nico to choose other dishes or methods, but he insisted that his food needed to be as authentic as possible.”

“It does, Leo! We can’t say ‘authentic Italian food’ if it’s not!” The first guy, Nico, said indignantly.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Leo waved his hand dismissively as he walked back further into the food truck. “You and your integrity.”

Nico rolled his eyes, focusing back on Will. “I only keep him around because he built the kitchen so that I can make the foods that I want to. And he can cook a little.” Oh, that little smile was a little too cute for Will right now.

He blushed lightly as he responded, “I totally get it, though. My friends also argued with some of my dish choices, but we worked it out. I want my mama’s home cooking to be as real as possible. So, I respect that.”

Nico smiled fully now, in a way that crinkled his eyes and made his face look young. “Nice to find someone who understands. So,” he cocked his head in thought. “How about a food trade? I haven’t gotten to try many of the trucks around here since we’re so new. I’d love to try your stuff if you’d like to try mine?”

“That’d be great!” Will exclaimed.

“What kind of food do you serve? Hard to tell from the name.”

“Oh,” Will laughed, slightly self-conscious about explaining the truck name. “I make Texas comfort foods. The name is, uh… well it’s my last name.” He grinned sheepishly up at the man in the window.

Nico blinked down at him for a moment, then started laughing. “Oh! That’s funny.” He looked him in the eye as he admitted, “My full name is Nico di Angelo.”

Will took a moment to process that, and when he finally made the connection, he burst out laughing. Nico quickly joined him, both boys thinking about how lucky they were to find someone so similar to themselves. And also, someone so cute!


	4. Day 8 - Long Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nico’s an anxious mess (and yes, this is based on real life :P ) TW for anxious thoughts and actions? Not a panic attack, but just reading this might get your heart racing if you’re like me (~_~ ; )

Will was going on about his week, as per usual in their weekly phone calls. With him interning at a hospital in the city and Nico still living countryside with his dad, they had set up a system of generally daily texts and a long phone call on the weekend. It was not as hard as people made long distance sound, at least to Nico.

But there was also the fact that he had no idea what he was doing in the relationship. So, who’s to say?

Will just finished telling a story about a very stubborn patient he had to deal with this week, and Nico laughed along at every ridiculous point. He liked listening to Will. It was easy and pleasant, no matter what he was talking about.

Then, of course, Will asked about Nico‘s day and his week. But he had been living his normal life, with his part-time job on-campus and his college classes. He didn’t feel like there was much to say about his week, and he said as much.

“Are you sure there was nothing interesting that you did this week?” Will asked.

“Yeah, it was pretty much the same as always,” Nico replied.

_Well_ , Nico thought, _I did have dinner with a few random classmates_. But it seemed like this conversation was winding down and he knew that Will had some other things to do, so he wanted to respect his time.

“Did you hang out with people? Go out to dinner? Anything different like that?”

Nico’s eyes widened slightly, and he looked to the side nervously. “Uh... well, yeah I did.”

Nico watched as Will pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. “This is what I’m talking about Nico!” he exclaimed. “This is something! You know you have to try a little to have a conversation.”

He just sat there, like an idiot. Nico was stuck. He thought the conversation was going to end! It didn’t seem important!

Nico voiced his thoughts to Will, who only squinted in apparent annoyance. “If you had your way, you’d never tell me anything about your life.”

“That’s not—“ _true_ , he wanted to say, but it was probably a little true. He didn’t usually just offer up information about his day-to-day life. It just wasn’t normal for him.

“Oh my gosh, Nico,” Will laughed, but he was a little irritated too. Nico could tell.

There was a pause, which Nico assumes he was expected to fill with details about his dinner. But, again, it was just dinner and nothing crazy happened. And if he said too much, wouldn’t it just prove him to be a liar for saying he had nothing to say? Or is he overthinking this? Or under thinking? “Um, yeah, had dinner with a different group of people from class. That’s it, nothing interesting.” He shrugged, barely making eye contact with Will.

“Okay,” is all Will said.

Nico gulped. He really needed to end this conversation. “Okay, sooo I gotta go call Hazel, I told her I would.”

“Okay then,” Will furrowed his eyebrows, but Nico couldn’t really decipher his expression (not that he was really looking at Will). “See you later.”

“Bye.”

Nico quickly hung up and threw his phone onto his bed. He then launched himself up from where he had been sitting and began aggressively passing his room.

_WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED._

Oh, schist. He’s horrible. He’s the worst boyfriend ever. What, was he waiting to end the conversation? With his _boyfriend_? Why??? Why should he be nervous just talking with Will, so much that he anticipated ending the conversation? Nico knew he did that with other people because he always got really nervous about awkward pauses and all that. But this was _Will_.

Admittedly, their relationship was relatively new, and they were taking it really slow, probably for Nico‘s sake. Which, was that also bad??

At this rate, Nico was going to wear a trench into his floor with his pacing. He also realized that he was muttering all of his nervous thoughts to himself. If anyone could hear him, they would think he’s crazy. Maybe he was. His social anxiety was absolutely skyrocketing, and he felt like he was going to explode.

After some indeterminate amount of time (the panic really muddled Nico’s sense of time), his phone started ringing, making him nearly jump out of his skin. He glanced at where it laid on his bed. Will’s face filled the screen, and Nico could feel his heart beating a mile a minute.

_What the heck? Why is he calling again? We just hung up?? I said I was going to call Hazel. Should I answer it? Should I let it go?_

Nico was now very outwardly panicking, hands gripping his hair as he basically sprint-paced around his bed whilst staring at his buzzing phone. He had mostly decided not to answer to keep the continuity of his lie (though he should probably call Hazel, both to catch up and because he was freaking out), but any second-thoughts were washed away when the ringing stopped on its own. He was either barely breathing or nearly hyper-ventilating at this point, but it was hard to tell as Nico fell into a crouch on the ground with a groan.

He has no idea why Will was calling, but he just knew it had to be about how their phone call ended. What else would it be? And what might he say about it? Nico’s mind was buzzing with questions that he had zero answers to.

_Ding!_

His phone went off, Nico snapping to attention immediately. He scrambled over to his bed, practically throwing himself at his phone. It lit up as he tilted it toward himself: “New Voicemail.” _Oh gods_ , Will left a voicemail.

After a few more minutes of panicking, Nico decided he should just listen to it. It’s not like Will would know when he listened to it, so if he didn’t respond right away, it was not a big deal. And then maybe he will actually call Hazel after. He probably should, for his own health.

Nico’s thumb hovered over the play button for the voicemail, trembling with fear, anxiety, anticipation, dread, everything he could feel at the moment (except probably anything good, like excitement or happiness).

He tapped the screen.

_*static* “Hey, Nico. It’s Will. I know you’re probably talking to Hazel right now, so I didn’t expect you to pick up. I just wanted to say, well, a few things. I’m sorry if I came off badly in the call. You seemed a bit nervous at the end, and thinking back, it’s probably because I commented about telling me things, right? If it’s not, then you can ignore this.” *nervous laughter* “I’m sorry for saying you wouldn’t tell me things about your life. I guess I was a bit frustrated since I feel like I’m always talking, and I don’t hear as much from you in return. But it was rude of me to say that, so I’m really sorry. I know this is new for you, and you’re getting used to, everything really, and I don’t want to push you. I promise I know you’re trying and I like you as you are. I was being selfish in that moment. So, I’m really sorry if I made you nervous or stressed or anything like that! Text me later when you get this so I know we’re okay. Um, okay, bye, Neeks!”_

The line clicked off and the messaged ended. And Nico sat there, gaping at his phone and hugging his pillow, which he must have grabbed in his stress but didn’t even realize it. He… didn’t know what to think. It’s like getting emotional whiplash. A minute ago, he thought he was a horrible boyfriend, and that Will was mad at him. Now, he discovered Will actually felt bad about what he said and wanted to know if Nico was okay. It was overloading the tiny emotional center in Nico’s brain.

He was overthinking, like always. He recognized that, which is major improvement for him given his track record of panicking and running away from problems that apparently only existed in his own mind. He plopped down right next to his bed, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. As much as possible, he forced himself not to think of anything, blocking out all distractions, just like Will taught him to.

After a few minutes, his hands stopped shaking and his heart stopped trying to rattle itself out of his chest. Nico slowly opened his eyes, feeling noticeably calmer, though his swirling, anxious thoughts were beginning to creep back in. He reached back for his phone, staring at his screen for a second before playing the message again. And again, and again, until he could finally process all the words and understand how he felt about it.

Will wasn’t mad—that’s good. He was, in fact, apologetic, which Nico didn’t want, but it was also nice to hear that Will recognized how his own words could have been (and were slightly) hurtful. Will wanted to know not just that Nico was okay, but that _they_ were okay. So he was concerned about their relationship, which, so was Nico, so it made sense.

Okay, this was good. Nico understood what Will wanted to convey in the message. It sounded like Nico was freaking out for nothing, which always sucks to find out, but he would rather worry over nothing than there be an actual problem.

Now to respond.

Well, enough time had passed where it would be feasible that he finished his call with Hazel. He’ll actually call her tomorrow, but for now, he could at least text Will.

Before he could dither over his words too much, Nico decided to go for a simple, straightforward message: _Thanks for your message. We’re okay._

He knew Will would want more, and he deserved to know at least what Nico was thinking (overthinking) about. But this was enough for the moment. Nico knew Will would understand, would be understanding of Nico’s laconic reply, and would let him sort out his thoughts before answering more fully.

Nico was really, really, _really_ lucky to have someone like Will.

_Ding!_

He glanced down to read Will’s reply: _Okay good. Talk more later!_

Acknowledgement and a casual goodbye. Yeah, he understood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this drafted for a while, but I didn’t have an actual ending planned (if you can’t tell) and it kind of got away from me, so sorry if this isn’t what you want to read for AUctober! But it’s like writing therapy for me, and I’m happy not to see it in my WIPs anymore lol


	5. Day 10 - Murder Mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I swear I wanted to write Sherlock Holmes, but I’ve been watching too many Among Us streams and it just fits too perfectly. [Solange-lol did it for AUctober too](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26900998) (like all-out did it, and literally tagged major character death LOL). Mine is just dumb :P

“Will, we have tasks to do.”

“They can wait, we just started.”

Nico only half-heartedly protested as he pressed his back against the wall of a dimly lit room, Will pinning him in place. Their breath was hot as it mingled between them, mouths inches away, but still not touching.

Will smiled down at him. “Don’t act like you want to do work instead of _this_.” He leaned down, teasingly brushing his lips over Nico’s. His hand reached out to cup the back of Nico’s neck, both bringing him forward and restraining him from going any further. Nico’s eyes fluttered closed, and he could feel heat rush to his cheeks.

He tried to chase Will has he pulled slightly away, just enough to gaze down at Nico with half-lidded eyes. Nico opened his eyes, doing his best to pout up at his boyfriend even with red in his cheeks and desire in his eyes.

“Just kiss me already, _idiota_ ,” Nico tried to growl, but it came out a little more breathlessly than he intended. He twisted his fingers into the front of Will’s suit, yanking him down and firmly slotting his lips to Will’s. The blonde let out a small noise of surprise before melting into the kiss, both hands now tangling themselves in Nico’s hair. Nico, meanwhile, circled his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, holding him in place and bringing himself flush against him.

Just as Nico began to lose himself in the sensation of _Will_ , the lights suddenly flicked on.

“Oh ho ho, what do we have here?”

Both boys’ eyes flew open. They stared at each other for a second before Nico roughly shoved Will away from him and whipped around to look at the intruder.

Piper stood there, dressed in her obnoxiously pink suit, a smirk adorning her wicked face.

“What’s up, boys?”

Nico glared at her intensely, upset at both his kiss being interrupted and how smug she looked in that moment.

“Piper!” Will fumbled for words, and Nico couldn’t believe he was actually trying to cover up what just happened. “Um, hi! We were just…”

“Making out in communications?” She raised an eyebrow.

“No! No, I, uh… I was marinating him!” Nico looked incredulously at the boy in front of him, who now seemed determined to follow through with his lie. “Yeah, I wanted an alibi for later. I’m the imposter!”

Either that was the dumbest lie ever or Nico was going to have trust issues for the rest of his life.

“Oh, really?” Piper tapped her chin like she was thinking it over. And then, “I don’t believe you.”

“Well, it’s true!” Will exclaimed, nearly puffing out his chest in pride. “In fact, you should be running right now!”

“Or maybe you should.”

The boys stared at the girl in pink as her words set in.

“Wha—no!” Will threw his hands out in front of him as Piper pulled out a knife.

“No, wait!” Nico finally jumped into action, saying, “If you kill him, I’ll just report the body and you’re out. You’re out-numbered.”

“Actually, she’s not,” another voice called from behind her. A purple figure stepped out from the shadows of the doorway, her dark brown braid hanging over her shoulder as she twirled a sword in her hands.

“Oh, schist, it’s _you two_?? That’s so unfair!” Nico accepted his fate as Reyna stepped closer, a self-satisfied smile gracing her features.

Piper nodded at him. “It really is. But we can’t help that we’re good at this game.”

Nico and Will looked at each other, sighing in defeat.

.

.

.

.

**_Ghost Nico:_ ** _I’m dating an idiot._

**_Ghost Will:_ ** _YOU’RE JUST AS GUILTY HERE!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavily based on [this Klance Among Us comic.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlF4F_Awpp/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet) To everyone making Among Us fancontent: we need to stop, it’s ridiculous XD


	6. Day 11 - Unspecified Wizarding School

“Come on, Will!” Nico tugged his boyfriend’s arm, whispering as loud as he dared in the silence of the night.

“Nico,” Will’s voice held a note of warning. “It’s past curfew!”

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. “Duh, that’s why we can go now. Oh, put on a sweater or something, it’s probably a bit cold out.”

Will stared at his boyfriend for a second longer before sighing in defeat. He pulled a warm sweater on quickly before grabbing onto Nico’s outstretched hand. The other boy had a gleam in his eyes, which made Will both apprehensive and excited as they snuck out of their dorm rooms.

Everything was still and silent in the corridors they crept through. Will was generally a rule follower, but even he knew that their prefect did not care to monitor the halls closely at night.

Nico led them to the stairwell, glancing back at Will and pointing upward. Will smiled and nodded, and they climbed the stairs together to the top. The rooftop access lock had long since been broken and no one had come to fix it yet. Will and Nico found themselves spending time together on the roof at all times of day, but they hadn’t been up there anytime past curfew before.

They shoved the door open, placing a brick in the doorway to keep it from closing completely, just in case. They walked hand-in-hand to their spot on the far side of the roof, Nico laying out a blanket he brought up for them to use. He stretched out on the blanket, looking up at Will expectantly.

It may have been slightly against the rules, but Will wasn’t about to refuse a late-night date with his boyfriend.

Will laid down next to Nico, their hands tangling together between them. Then, he looked up.

Stars littered the dark night sky, and Will was in awe. He loved the stars—it was one of his favorite things in nature. As much as he loved sunshine and blue skies, the stars consistently filled him with wonder. They made him feel both impossibly small and entirely infinite. It helped that, because of the magical (and therefore, dangerous) nature of their school, their campus was secluded far from any cities and bright lights, so Will could see even more stars than he could back home.

“I told you you’d love it,” Nico said softly from beside Will. Nico had been the one to show Will the beauty of the night in the first place. It was his favorite time of day—quiet, peaceful, and dark, save for the stars and moon. “Can’t get this view before curfew.”

“Yeah, okay. It’s worth it.” Will turned his head to look at Nico, who was already staring right back. Nico smiled, and Will felt his heart swoop.

“I’ve got something else to show you, too.” Nico pulled his wand out and pointed it up towards the sky, drawing Will’s attention away from his face. “Watch this.”

Nico murmured under his breath, dragging his wand through the air as the tip lit up a bright blue. He traced shapes through the sky, and Will didn’t realize what he was doing until he was done.

Will gasped, gazing up at the lines Nico drew connecting the stars in the sky. The magical constellations sparkled even as Will passed his fingers through it.

“Neeks! How did you do that?” The blonde couldn’t take his eyes off of the stars above him. It was stunning, so simple yet so beautiful.

Will felt Nico lift his shoulders beside him in a shrug. “Magic,” is all he said.

Laughing, Will elbowed his boyfriend’s side. “Whatever. This is why you’re best in Charms class.”

The young wizard laughed, bumping Will back as he said, “Well, charms won’t help me on the Potions test tomorrow. Or, maybe—”

“—No,” Will cut him off. “No cheating! We can go out past curfew for this, but no more rule-breaking, you delinquent.”

Nico pouted at his boyfriend, which was absolutely adorable to Will. “But Willlllll,” he gestured up to the sky. “I made you stars!”

“And I love them,” Will replied, rolling onto his side and propping his head up in his hand. He gazed down at Nico, who was bathed in the dim starlight, and couldn’t help himself. He ducked down and pressed a kiss to his lips, slow and innocent. Nico pressed upward immediately, a hand coming up to gently cup Will’s cheek.

They pulled apart, eyes fluttering open and gazing into each other once more.

“Thank you.” Will leaned down once more to peck Nico’s lips. “But I’m not helping you on the Potions test.” He laid back down as Nico groaned.

“You’re a meanie,” he grumbled, but Will could hear the smile in his voice.

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The magic is very loosely there lol but I’m counting it anyway.


	7. Day 12 - Wrong Number

_Ring ring ring!_

Nico rolled over in bed to stare at his phone, which was vibrating violently on his nightstand. His clocked blinked behind it: 12:30 AM.

He groaned as he reached for his phone. The number was one he didn’t recognize, but Nico answered anyway. Either it was a bot and he’d hang up, a distant relative wanting to give him money (it was never that), or some random person he’d get to tell off for waking him up.

When he put the phone to his ear, he didn’t even get the chance to figure out which option it was because the person on the other end of the line was already talking.

“So, listen, I know I asked for your number earlier, but my friends really made me do it because they wanted me to, quote-unquote, ‘have fun.’ And I feel bad in case you expected anything, but I just wanted you to know that I’m not really interested in anything. Again, I’m really sorry—”

“Wait, wait, stop, stop,” Nico sat up quickly, putting his hands out even though the guy on the phone couldn’t see him. “Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you’ve got the wrong number.”

Silence rang out over the line. Nico pulled his phone back to check that he hadn’t accidentally hung up on the guy. He put the phone back to his ear, saying unsurely, “umm, hello?”

A few more seconds, until, “Oh my gosh.”

The poor guy sounded defeated at this point.

“I am so so sorry for calling you. That girl didn’t actually give me her number, I guess. I mean, that’s smart of her, so good for her. Bad for me. But also good for me since I didn’t want to talk with her anyway? I don’t know, man, I hate my friends so much for this.”

Nico blinked, trying to process the torrent of words pouring from the stranger’s mouth. Before he could even think of something to say, the guy continued talking.

“And now I’m rambling. To a stranger. At,” he paused. “12:30 AM. Okay I guess it’s not too late. Well, maybe depends on how old you are. You sound young, like, my age. Did I wake you up?”

“Uh,” Nico began intelligently. “I’m 22. And yes, you woke me up.”

“Ah!” the young man exclaimed. Nico winced at the volume. “You are my age! I’m 23!” He paused, and Nico wondered why he was still talking with a stranger who hadn’t meant to call him in the first place. “Wait, I woke you up? Dude, why are you asleep so early?”

Nico glowered at the emptiness in front of him. “Some of us value sleep. And don’t stay out at bars asking strangers for their phone number.”

The other boy had the audacity to laugh, causing Nico to glare harder at nothing. “Okay, you old man. And I said! My friends made me do it! And all the guys in the bar looked like douchebags, and there was only one approachable girl in the whole place!” It sounded like he was pouting like a kid, which made Nico crack a smile.

He also got some key information, not that he cared that much.

“Right, whatever you say. I’m assuming you’re not in college anymore? You know, there are other places to meet guys besides a gross bar. A straight one at that, based on what you said.” Nico was smirking, and also didn’t know _what_ he was doing. It was too late for his brain to keep him from making dumb mistakes.

“Oh, really?” The stranger challenged. “And where do you meet cute boys, Mystery Phone Man?”

Nico shrugged, still alone in the darkness of his room. “I don’t go anywhere. Usually, they come to me. Sometimes random strangers just call me and ask me out.” _Nico, what are you doing_ , he thought to himself. His brain gave him no answers.

The guy hummed in thought, but he could hear the smile in his voice. “Well, you’re a lucky guy, aren’t you? Considering I don’t know a thing about you, though, how do I know you’re not a crazy murderer looking for your next victim?”

Nico snorted. This guy was ridiculous. “I have a few references, if you’d like. My name is Nico, by the way. I live in New York City.”

“No way! So do I! Like, _city_ city? Oh, and I’m Will!”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, so this is either fate, or entirely too convenient and most definitely a trap.”

Nico smiled. “Care to find out?”

Silence, and then, “Yes, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is ridiculous and unrealistic, NO ONE DO THIS. Writing this went against my common sense, but it’s so cliché and cute, it had to go this way.


	8. Day 17 - Haunted House

“Guys…? Guys???”

Will swiveled around, desperately looking for his friends in the dark. No one was in his immediate vicinity, and it was so dark, Will couldn’t see past three feet in front of him. He was all alone in this scary haunted house that he didn’t even want to go into in the first place.

Typical.

He was going to kill Cecil for dragging him in here and then deserting him.

For now, he would have to somehow find the exit without collapsing in fear or breaking through walls in panic. He took a few steps forward, hand tentatively reaching out to maybe feel a wall or something. Instead, a masked monster popped out of the shadows and Will _screeched_ , stumbling backwards. He bumped into someone, presumably from the group behind him, and latched on immediately.

“ _Oh my gosh please help me_ ,” he pleaded, still staring at where the monster slunk back into the darkness.

The boy that Will was currently clinging to chuckled and said, “Not a fan of haunted houses?”

Will turned to look at his savior, making out few features in the low light of the room. The boy looked about his age, with dark hair and dark eyes. He didn’t seem scared, the gentle smile on his face bringing Will comfort. Normally, he would never trust a stranger so quickly. But, desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Absolutely not. My friends dragged me in here and then _left me_.” Will glanced around them. “Did you come in here alone?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I actually also got separated from my friends. But I liked haunted houses, so it’s not so bad for me.”

“Oh!” Will was starting to feel better about his situation. “Then let’s find the way out together! You can enjoy all the scary things and I’ll just hide behind you.”

The boy laughed, an angelic sound in this mad banquet of darkness. “Sure thing, blondie. Though I think your hair and your smile will give you away. You’re practically glowing in here.”

Will felt heat rush to his cheeks. Did he just say Will had a glowing smile? “Um,” he replied eloquently.

The stranger continued, saving him from embarrassment. “I’m Nico, by the way.”

“Will.” They shook hands, and Will tightened his grip before Nico could let go. “Yeah, I’m just going to hold this to minimize the risk of losing you. I refuse to go through this alone.”

Nico blinked at him, then laughed quietly, shifting their grip so it was more comfortable. “Sure thing. Don’t worry,” _Did he just wink at me?_ “I’ll protect you.”

Will might have been losing it, or maybe it was some form of hero worship, but he was definitely falling for the dark stranger that found him in the depths of the haunted house.

They walked hand-in-hand through the turning corridors, Nico pulling Will along. Nico endured most of the jump scares, though he laughed immediately after. Some monsters waited to get Will, which only caused him to shriek and press closer to Nico’s back. At one point, Will was basically hiding his face in Nico’s hoodie, holding onto him for dear life. He could feel Nico softly chuckling, the sound reverberating through his chest. It brought Will comfort for the three seconds of peace he had before the next scare.

They eventually made it out, Will pushing Nico forward once the exit was in sight. They burst through the open door, Will letting go of Nico’s hand for the first time since grabbing hold of it, only to fling his arms out at the open sky and gentle breeze.

“Oh, thank _goodness_. I’m alive. We’re alive.” He took several dramatic gulps of air, putting a hand to his chest to feel his heart still pounding. He twirled in place to find Nico watching him with a fond smile. He rushed up and threw his arms around him, squeezing tightly when he felt tentative hands come up around his back. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_. You literally saved me back there.”

Nico’s breath ghosted past Will’s ear, making him shiver. “No problem. That was actually a lot more fun than it would have been otherwise.”

Will pulled back enough to see the boy’s face and pouted. “You mean because you got to laugh at my screaming.”

Nico’s smile stretched into something more akin to a smirk, his eyes glinting mischievously in the moonlight. “Maybe,” he said.

The blonde rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and took a step back, dropping his arms back to his side. He felt a little sad to think that he may never see Nico again, after going through all that and really exposing himself as the scaredy cat he is.

But then again, why did it have to end here?

“So,” Will started, a hand reaching up to rub his neck nervously. “Got any plans? I’m kind of down for some ice cream. My treat, to repay my knight in shining armor.” He smiled, hoping the dark of the night hid his blushing cheeks.

Nico tilted his head, considering. He smiled and opened his mouth to reply when someone interrupted him.

“Will!” Cecil waved his arms as he ran up to him. “Dude, where did you go? We totally lost you in there!”

Will glared at his best friend. “You jerks _left me behind_.” He turned a nose up at him. “Nico here had to come in and save me. So now I’m taking him out for ice cream and leaving you all behind.” He quickly looked to Nico. “If you wanted to, that is.”

Cecil looked to the stranger, bewildered. Nico only laughed and said, “I’d love to.”

“Bu—” Cecil started, but Will cut him off.

“Nope, I don’t care.” Will looped his arm through Nico’s like it was natural, and maybe it kind of was after the whole haunted house adventure. “You tell Lou Ellen and the others that you’re all poops.”

Cecil put a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Will, so scathing.”

Will turned and pulled Nico away without replying. The dark-haired boy laughed again, which was starting to become Will’s favorite sound. “‘Poops’? You really cut them deep there, huh?”

“You bet I did.” Will turned to Nico with a smile. “Now, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I call people poops, it’s a very serious insult.


	9. Day 31 - Halloween!

“ _It’ll be fun_ , they said. _We’ll be with you all night_ , they said.”

Nico glared at the empty chairs around him, his friends having ditched him about ten minutes ago to mingle. He swirled the punch in his glass and tossed it back, like if he pretended it had alcohol in it then maybe it would give him some kind of reprieve from this whole experience.

His friends somehow convinced him to go to this “masquerade Halloween ball,” which was just a glorified costume party. Everyone was dressed up, most in something fancy or classy rather than a dumb, makeshift costume like he was used to seeing at Halloween parties. Nico guessed this was what it was like to become an adult—no more trick-or-treating or being jostled around at some house party that he didn’t want to go to. Now, he had to be stiff and uncomfortable in a nicer place that he didn’t want to be at. The only saving grace was that the food was way better.

Nico glanced around, hoping that he was truly invisible at this ball. As much as he didn’t want to talk to people, he also didn’t want to be seen sitting at a table alone. It was a bit embarrassing.

Having given up on finding his friends, or them coming back to the table, his social anxiety finally pushed him to move from his spot and find something to do. The snack table was always a good place to escape to.

As he moved along the table of various Halloween-themed desserts, someone came up behind him and said, “I really like your costume.”

Nico stiffened at the sudden interaction, deciding not to turn around immediately. “I’m just wearing black,” he stated.

“Well, based on your mask, I kind of thought you were Joker. Like, from Persona 5?”

Nico was too shocked not to turn around now. Granted, Joker was now in Smash Ultimate, but still. He didn’t expect to find a Persona fan in this crowd. “Um, I’m surprised you knew that.”

Nico was met with a look he did not expect to see tonight. The boy in front of him was wearing a blue hoodie speckled with white, brown fitted pants, and… no shoes. He raised his eyes up to the guy’s hair, which was sprayed a silvery white with bits of blonde showing underneath. In his hand was a crooked staff, a silvery fringed mask attached at the end which he held up to his eyes.

Nico blinked in surprise. “Um,” he really didn’t know what to say. The dim, bluish lighting of the room made it a bit difficult to see, but he couldn’t deny that the stranger looked good in his simple getup.

The stranger laughed. “I know, my costume is really out of place here.” He leaned in eagerly. “Do you know who I am?”

“Uh,” Nico’s lips quirked up at the corner, unable to contain the happiness he felt at seeing this character at an event like this. “Jack Frost?”

“Yep!” He popped the “p” at the end, seemingly very pleased that Nico guessed correctly. “Also, yeah, I’ve played Persona 5 Royal. It was a more recent thing, but I really liked it.”

“I mean, I mostly dressed as him because I could just wear all black and a mask is a part of his character.” Nico never professed to be a great conversationalist. He hadn’t planned on talking to any new people tonight, so he’s really unsure of what to do at the moment.

Luckily, his conversation partner seemed to be more competent. “Well, I dressed as Jack Frost, one, because I love his character. Two, because I’m lazy and can just wear a hoodie and literally be barefoot. And three, because my friends really wanted to be not-classy at this classy event.” He ended by rolling his eyes. Jack Frost leaned on his staff as he turned around, pointing into the crowd. “See the Mario and Luigi right there?” Nico followed his line of sight and nodded. “Yeah, those are my friends.”

Nico had to laugh. He saw a couple others dressed as Mario and Luigi, but it was more like formal wear inspired by them rather than the actual characters. However, these two went for the authentic look, big hats and mustaches and all. They really did stick out on the dance floor, not just because of their wacky dance moves.

“That seems like way more fun than what these other people are wearing,” Nico commented.

“I know, right?” Jack Frost agreed enthusiastically, turning back to Nico. “I feel like the fancy ball thing really takes the fun out of Halloween costumes.”

Nico smiled. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“Glad we’re on the same page, Joker.” He stuck a hand out. “My name is Will.”

“Nico,” he replied, shaking the outstretched hand.

“So, Nico,” he glanced down at the empty plate still clutched in Nico’s hand. “Since I’m assuming you were just passing time at the snack table, care to join me on the dance floor?”

Nico considered this. He looked down at his plate, back at the empty table he was sitting at minutes ago, and out onto the dance floor where he saw Mario and Luigi still weirdly flailing around. Then, he looked at his new acquaintance, Will, who extended his hand once more, an open invitation. He smiled at Nico, gentle and sweet, his blue eyes sparkling behind his mask.

He set his plate down and set his hand lightly in the other boy’s. “Why not?”

They grinned at each other, Will’s hand closing around Nico’s and tugging him forward. Something pulled in Nico’s chest, and he wondered if there might be something magical in the air after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually intending to have more dancing, include some conversation over slow dancing, use the mask thing to create mystery, but then it just wrapped itself up, so oh well :P Also, Will was definitely checking Nico out from afar, and only approached him when his friends pushed him toward the opening that presented itself (Mario and Luigi are Cecil and Lou Ellen, of course).


End file.
